RTP in Slots: Understanding What Does it Mean and Stands For
The term "RTP" is used in iGaming and stands for Return To Player. RTP in slots indicates the amount of money players expect to get back from their bets. But there are many other aspects that need to be explained!
What is the normal RTP for slots, and how does it calculate? What is the difference between Land-based and online slots RTPs? How it engages with other essential factors in a game's payout structure and how it affects players' experience.
In this article, we will pass through these questions and clarify all about RTP.
What is RTP in Slots?
RTP is a key factor in determining the slot's value. It takes time and requires many spins from a player. It is the percentage of money casinos have to return to players from their bets over the long run. If a slot has 97% RTP, a player can expect to get 97% of the amount he wagered.
Meanwhile, the remaining 3% is the House Edge, the term you are probably familiar with. It shows the percentage of bets the casino will keep or the player will lose.
So, while RTP stands for Return To Player, House Edge is about the casinos' profits.
How is RTP Calculated?
To calculate RTP, a simple formula is used: the total amount of winnings divided by the total amount of money wagered and multiplied by 100%. The result is RTP in percentage.
Let's consider an example: If a game has an RTP of 96%, and the player wagers $100, he can expect to receive $96 back over time. But it doesn't mean that player will win every time he wagers $100.
Does the RTP Matter for Players?
Of course, it is an essential indicator of how promising gameplay will be but only in some cases.
Mostly, RTP matters for regular players who invest considerable money in gambling. They mainly select slots with high return percentages to secure their money back, while the excitement of the slot’s gameplay may be pretty enough for casual players.
Moreover, suppose you are just starting an online casino. In that case, you have to know that high RTP will also profit your business as higher numbers engage many players wishing to try their luck while making them feel confident about getting their money back.
What is the Normal RTP for Slots?
The common RTP for most online slots varies between 92% and 97%. Slots with a high chance of winning have a score of at least 96%. Return to player will always be less than 100% otherwise, there are no profits for casinos.
In general, a higher RTP means better chances for the players to win their money back, but slots with lower return percentage are still in the competition. That is because of other major factors like Volatility and Hit frequency that can become a game changer.
For example, a slot with a lower RTP and lower volatility accompanied by frequent bonus features has the potential to be more popular than a slot with a higher return percentage, and higher volatility since the chances of winning are even better in the first case.
So, the RTP is likely to be high, but also it must be balanced against the other factors of the slot's structure.
RTP and Volatility: Similar But Not the Same
Volatility plays a crucial role in determining the chances of players’ winnings. Although the concepts of RTP and Volatility are closely connected, there is a marked difference between those two.
Volatility is a measure of risk. It is all about how often and how much players can win in a particular slot.
Volatility can be low, middle and high. Slots with low volatility are programmed for smaller but frequent wins. In contrast, highly volatile ones actually have more bonus features and offer bigger payouts, but players have to spin many times to catch a big success.
The player’s choice of slot’s volatility level depends on his bankroll. Players with a large bankroll will likely choose a slot with high volatility. Meanwhile, those with a smaller bankroll will go with low-volatile slots.
Hit Frequency and RTP
Hit frequency, also known as Winning frequency, indicates how often slots will form a winning combination; for example, a 10% hit frequency means that a player can succeed 10 times out of every 100 slot spins.
Imagine there are 2 slots; the first has 99% RTP and the second has 91% RTP. The choice of player is obvious. But when we add a Hit frequency of 20% to the first one and 40% to the other one, things start changing. A slot with 99% RTP and HIT Frequency of 20% pays rare but tangible amounts, while one with 91% RTP and HIT Frequency of 40% often pays fewer amounts.
The first slot can give players a sizable return over a long time, while the second slot offers a chance to double players’ bets quickly.
The game developers set the hit frequency to their slots to keep the game fun, permanently offering some wins and triggering bonus games.
So the Hit rate is responsible for the frequency of wins, not their size.
Land-based RTP vs Online Slots RTP
There is a significant difference between land-based and online slots' RTP rates. Land-based casinos mainly offer slots starting from 70% to 90% RTP, but the percentage may reach 92% in very few games.
In addition to many other privileges that online casino providers offer, online slots are the absolute champion in this confrontation as their RTP can increase up to 99% and 94% of RTP is already considered very low.
Where does the difference come from? As we know, land-based casinos are actually land-based; therefore, they are limited by the space on which their land is. They have to make as much money as possible by installing a certain quantity of physical machines in that limited space. At the same time, iGaming sites do not relate to this kind of issue and can offer unlimited "machines" for play.
RTP in Slots. Truths and Myths
There are a lot of myths flying around the RTP. So what is true, and what is just a tall tale? Let's take a closer look at some of the most familiar myths and truths about slots RTP.
#1: Higher RTP - better odds of winning.
This is not necessarily true. Slots with higher RTPs indeed tend to be more favourable to players, as they guarantee bigger payouts. But it is important to keep in mind that RTP only measures the amount of money a slot will pay out over time; it doesn't consider other characteristics of slot or luck-based factors.
#2: Online casino operators can influence RTP.
This is an absolute myth. RTP must be adjusted to the needs of the operator! Slot providers can develop slots with fixed RTPs. In some areas, developers can not change a random game.
#3: RTP doesn't matter for a single session.
It is mostly true. Different from slots are about luck and unpredictability so that anything can happen. It is hard to imagine that RTP will profit players during a single session because RTP needs a lot of spins and, therefore, a lot of time.
#4: Progressive jackpots affect actual RTP
One more truth here; the actual RTP rate of a game can be influenced by progressive jackpots.
Suppose the slot has an RTP of 98% and a progressive jackpot worth $10 million; the actual RTP of the game will be significantly lower than mentioned. If the slot RTP is 98% and has a progressive jackpot at reset is worth 10%, then the actual RTP of the slot will be 88% until the player doesn't hit the jackpot.
#5: Casinos hide the slots with the highest RTPs
Unfortunately, when it comes to land-based casinos, there is a common tendency to hide the slots with the highest RTPs from players. However, iGaming websites are much more transparent with their players, and anyone can easily find out which slots have the highest RTP.
3 Games with Highest RTP
Below are some of the best RTP slots from one of our game providers - PopOK Gaming.
Lucky Jungle - 97.07%
Lucky Jungle is a 5-reel and 3-row video slot with 10 lines to win. In addition to cash winnings, the slot also offers Jackpots and Free Spins features. Landing a Scatter symbol on 1, 3, and 5 reels makes it possible to win extra Free Spins. All Wilds turn into Multiplier Wilds during Free Spins.
40 Hot Bar Extra - 97.30%
40 Hot Bar Extra with 6 reels and 4 rows includes Wild and Scatter symbols and the Double Win feature. There are two modes: just for fun or for real money; in this case, players can expect 97.30% RTP.
Novel of Alexander - 97.54%
Novel of Alexander is the PopOK Gaming’s slot with higher RTP available now. It is a 3-reel and 3-row video slot with Free Spins, a Bonus Game, and an extra reel with Multipliers.
A Word at Closing
Overall, RTP is an important indicator when choosing a slot to offer your players. It clarifies things by helping you understand how the slot was designed and how it will return the players' bets. So, it is important to manage your business, but the main reason you should focus on RTP is to provide a high-level iGaming experience.
In BetConstruct, we always look at the big picture, and at the same time, we pay close attention to the slot’s details. So always check the RTP (not only) when choosing a casino games aggregator and keep in touch!